Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0476089 (endometrial cancer)
11,379 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The roles of the p16 and p15 inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinase tumour suppressor genes were examined in human uterine cervical and endometrial cancers. p16 mRNA, examined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), was significantly reduced in five of 19 (26%) cervical and four of 25 (16%) endometrial tumours. Reduced expression of p16 protein, detected by immunohistochemistry, occurred even more frequently, in nine of 33 (27%) cervical and seven of 37 (19%) endometrial tumours. Hypermethylation of a site within the 5'-CpG island of the p16 gene was detected in only one of 32 (3%) cervical tumours and none of 26 endometrial tumours. Homozygous p16 gene deletion, evaluated by differential PCR analysis, was found in four of 40 (10%) cervical tumours and one of 38 (3%) endometrial tumours. Homozygous deletion of p15 was found in three of 40 (8%) cervical tumours and one of 38 (3%) endometrial tumours. PCR-SSCP (single-strand conformation polymorphism) analysis detected point mutations in the p16 gene in six (8%) of 78 uterine tumours (four of 40 (10%) cervical tumours and two of 38 (5%) endometrial tumours). Three were mis-sense mutations, one in codon 74 (CTG-->ATG) and one in codon 129 (ACC-->ATC), both in cervical carcinomas, and the other was in codon 127 (GGG-->GAG) in an endometrial carcinoma. There was one non-sense mutation, in codon 50 (CGA-->TGA), in an endometrial carcinoma. The remaining two were silent somatic cell mutations, both in cervical carcinomas, resulting in no amino acid change. These observations suggest that inactivation of the p16 gene, either by homologous deletion, mutation or loss of expression, occurs in a subset of uterine tumours.
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PMID:Alteration of p16 and p15 genes in human uterine tumours. 1040 54

Numerous studies have demonstrated the anticancer activity of the tomato carotenoid, lycopene. However, the molecular mechanism of this action remains unknown. Lycopene inhibition of human breast and endometrial cancer cell growth is associated with inhibition of cell cycle progression at the G(1) phase. In this study we determined the lycopene-mediated changes in the cell cycle machinery. Cells synchronized in the G(1) phase by serum deprivation were treated with lycopene or vehicle and restimulated with 5% serum. Lycopene treatment decreased serum-induced phosphorylation of the retinoblastoma protein and related pocket proteins. This effect was associated with reduced cyclin-dependent kinase (cdk4 and cdk2) activities with no alterations in CDK protein levels. Lycopene caused a decrease in cyclin D1 and D3 levels whereas cyclin E levels did not change. The CDK inhibitor p21(Cip1/Waf1) abundance was reduced while p27(Kip1) levels were unaltered in comparison to control cells. Serum stimulation of control cells resulted in reduction in the p27 content in the cyclin E--cdk2 complex and its accumulation in the cyclin D1--cdk4 complex. This change in distribution was largely prevented by lycopene treatment. These results suggest that lycopene inhibits cell cycle progression via reduction of the cyclin D level and retention of p27 in cyclin E--cdk2, thus leading to inhibition of G(1) CDK activities.
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PMID:Lycopene inhibition of cell cycle progression in breast and endometrial cancer cells is associated with reduction in cyclin D levels and retention of p27(Kip1) in the cyclin E-cdk2 complexes. 1142 93

Basic transcription element binding (BTEB, also designated BTEB1) protein is a member of the Sp-family of GC-box binding transcription factors that exhibit distinct patterns of expression in many cell types and tissues. A role for BTEB1 in the regulation of cell growth and gene transcription has been invoked, but little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying these activities. The present study examined the functional consequences of high and low BTEB1 expression in the human endometrial carcinoma cell line Hec-1-A, by deriving stable clonal lines that expressed sense (S) and anti-sense (As) rat BTEB1 constructs. Clonal S lines, with BTEB1 mRNA and protein levels higher than in corresponding parent (N) and As lines, displayed enhanced DNA synthesis upon 3[H]-thymidine incorporation, in serum-containing but not in serum-free medium, and increased cell cycle kinetics, concomitant with the induction in expression of the genes for the cell cycle-associated components cyclin D1, PCNA, cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) inhibitor p21, and Cdk2. Compared to N and As lines, S lines also had diminished ability to grow in multi-layers and exhibited increased mRNA levels for plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI), and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP)-2. In serum-free medium, S, but not N nor As lines, had enhanced DNA synthesis with transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1, albeit all lines demonstrated similar responses to insulin-like growth factor-I and to epidermal growth factor, respectively. The higher DNA synthesis in S relative to N and As, lines upon exogenous TGF-beta1 addition, was observed in concert with increased expression of cyclins D1 and E and p21, genes. Moreover, S and As lines had increased mRNA levels for TIMP-1, TIMP-2, PAI-1, and beta-catenin, and diminished SLPI, and to a lesser extent, Cdk4 mRNA levels, with TGF-beta1 treatment. These results suggest that BTEB1 may mediate cell growth, in part, by modulating gene expression levels of distinct cell cycle and growth-associated proteins. The correlation between serum- and TGF-beta1 induction of DNA synthesis with increased BTEB1 expression further suggests that BTEB1 may constitute an important downstream regulatory component of various signaling pathways utilized by serum-associated and other growth factors in endometrial epithelial cells.
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PMID:Increased expression of the Zn-finger transcription factor BTEB1 in human endometrial cells is correlated with distinct cell phenotype, gene expression patterns, and proliferative responsiveness to serum and TGF-beta1. 1147 43

Progesterone is a critical steroid hormone that controls cell proliferation and differentiation in the female reproductive tract. Progesterone acts through two nuclear receptor isoforms, progesterone receptors A and B (PRA and PRB, respectively), each with unique cellular effects. Loss of PRB has recently been linked to the development of poorly differentiated endometrial tumors, a lethal form of cancer. To study the molecular effects of progesterone, progesterone receptors were introduced into Hec50co endometrial cancer cells by adenoviral vectors encoding either PRA or PRB. Progesterone induced the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors p21 and p27, thereby significantly reducing the percentage of proliferating cells. Cancer cell invasion was also markedly inhibited as measured by Matrigel invasion studies. Similarly, a differentiated, secretory phenotype was induced by progesterone in cells expressing PRB. However, replicative senescence was induced by progesterone only in cells expressing PRA. Expression array analysis followed by confirmatory semiquantitative reverse transcription-PCR experiments demonstrated a significant progesterone-dependent inhibition of expression of a cadre of cellular adhesion molecules, including fibronectin, integrin alpha3, integrin beta1, integrin beta3, and cadherin 6. The level of down-regulation of adhesion molecule expression was significantly greater in the presence of the B isoform, demonstrating that progesterone acts principally through B receptors to inhibit cancer cell invasiveness modulated by adhesion molecules.
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PMID:Progesterone inhibits human endometrial cancer cell growth and invasiveness: down-regulation of cellular adhesion molecules through progesterone B receptors. 1183 May 47

In the human endometrial carcinoma cell line HEC1B, the overexpression of Bcl-2 leads to a G2/M cell cycle arrest. The experiments presented in this work suggest a direct interaction between the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 and the cyclin-dependent kinase Cdk-2 and suggest that such interaction is cell cycle dependent. While further experiments are currently under way in our laboratory to elucidate the significance of Cdk-2/Bcl-2 complexes in PCD and cell cycle regulation, we demonstrate also a specific inhibitory function of Bcl-2 on the activity of the coprecipitated kinase.
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PMID:Association of Bcl-2 with cyclin a/Cdk-2 complex and its effects on Cdk-2 activity. 1248 75

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecological cancer in Western industrialized countries. Cables, a cyclin-dependent kinase binding protein, plays a role in proliferation and/or differentiation. Cables mutant mice are viable, but develop endometrial hyperplasia and carcinoma in situ at a young age. Exposure to chronic low levels of estrogen results in development of endometrial cancer, similar to that observed in the postmenopausal female. In vitro and in vivo studies demonstrate that levels of Cables mRNA in benign human endometrial epithelium are up-regulated by progesterone and down-regulated by estrogen. Furthermore, nuclear immunostaining for Cables is lost in a high percentage of cases of human endometrial hyperplasia and adenocarcinoma, which are likely the product of unopposed estrogen. The loss of Cables immunostaining in the human endometrial cancer samples correlates with a marked decrease in Cables mRNA. Ectopic expression of Cables in human endometrial cells dramatically slows cell proliferation. Collectively, these data provide evidence that Cables is hormonally regulated and is involved in regulating endometrial cell proliferation. In addition, loss or suppression of Cables may be an early step in the development of endometrial cancer.
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PMID:Loss of cables, a cyclin-dependent kinase regulatory protein, is associated with the development of endometrial hyperplasia and endometrial cancer. 1472 25

Overexpression of the lipogenic enzyme fatty acid synthase (FAS) is a common molecular feature in subsets of sex-steroid-related tumors including endometrium and breast carcinomas that are associated with poor prognosis. Pharmacological inhibition of tumor-associated FAS hyperactivity is under investigation as a chemotherapeutic target. We examined the effects of the mycotoxin cerulenin (a covalent FAS inactivator), and the novel small compound C75 (a slow-binding FAS inhibitor) on estradiol (E2)- and tamoxifen (TAM)-stimulated ER-driven molecular responses in Ishikawa cells, an in vitro model of well-differentiated human endometrial carcinoma. We evaluated the effects of FAS inhibition on E2- and TAM-induced estrogen receptor (ER) transcriptional activity by using transient cotransfection assays with an estrogen-response element reporter construct (ERE-Luciferase). Antiestrogenic effects of cerulenin and C75 were observed by dose-dependent inhibition of E2-stimulated ERE-dependent transcription, whereas FAS inhibitors did not significantly increase the levels of ERE transcriptional activity in the absence of E2. Moreover, pharmacological blockade of FAS activity completely abolished TAM-stimulated ERE activity. To address the reliability of transient transfection assays, the effects of FAS inhibitors on E2-inducible gene products were evaluated. FAS blockade induced a dose-dependent decrease in E2-inducible alkaline phosphatase activity. E2-stimulated accumulation of progesterone receptor (PR) and HER-2/neu oncogene was abolished in the presence of FAS blockers. FAS inhibition also resulted in a marked downregulation of E2-stimulated ERalpha expression, and noticeably impaired E2-induced ERalpha nuclear accumulation. A dose-dependent decrease in cell proliferation and cell viability was observed after FAS blockade. A Cell Death ELISA, detecting DNA fragmentation, demonstrated that FAS inhibitors stimulated apoptosis of Ishikawa cells. The analysis of critical E2- and TAM-related cell cycle proteins revealed an increase of both the expression and the nuclear accumulation of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors p21WAF1/CIP1 and p27Kip1 following FAS inhibition. To rule out non-FAS cerulenin- and C75-related effects, we finally monitored ER signaling after silencing of FAS gene expression using the highly sequence-specific mechanism of RNA interference (RNAi). The concentrations of E2 and TAM inducing half-maximal ERE activity (EC50) dramatically increased (>100 times) in FAS RNAi-transfected Ishikawa cells. Moreover, depletion of FAS by RNAi also caused loss of ERalpha expression, downregulation of PR, and accumulation of p21WAF1/CIP1 and p27Kip1 in E2-stimulated Ishikawa cells. If chemically stable FAS inhibitors or cell-selective vector systems able to deliver RNAi targeting FAS gene demonstrate systemic anticancer effects in vivo, our results render FAS as a novel target for the prevention and treatment of endometrial carcinoma.
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PMID:Inhibition of tumor-associated fatty acid synthase activity antagonizes estradiol- and tamoxifen-induced agonist transactivation of estrogen receptor (ER) in human endometrial adenocarcinoma cells. 1509 77

p27 is a cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor whose specific late G(1) destruction allows progression of the cell across the G(1)/S boundary. The protein is ubiquitinated by S-phase kinase-interacting protein-2 (Skp2) following its specific phosphorylation, and is subsequently degraded by the 26s proteasome. There is a direct relationship between low level of p27 and rapid proliferation occurring in several benign states and in many malignancies. In the glandular cells of the normal endometrium, the level of p27 is exceedingly low during the proliferative phase, whereas it is markedly increased during the secretory phase. The expression of p27 in endometrial carcinoma is very low but has been found to increase following treatment with progesterone. However, estrogen exposure is considered as a major risk factor in developing endometrial cancer. The implications of the high dose of estrogen and progesterone induced during IVF treatment are still unknown. We have examined the expression of p27 and Skp2 as well as of Ki67 proliferation marker by using endometrial extracts and cells from normal endometrium, from ovarian hyperstimulated patients, and from endometrial carcinoma patients. The expression of p27, Skp2 and Ki67 was found to be similar in both normal secretory endometrium and endometrium from ovarian hyperstimulated patients. In striking contrast, p27 is significantly lower while Skp2 and Ki67 are significantly higher in the endometrial carcinoma and in endometrium from the proliferative phase compared with their normal secretory counterpart tissue.
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PMID:Decreased level of the cell cycle regulator p27 and increased level of its ubiquitin ligase Skp2 in endometrial carcinoma but not in normal secretory or in hyperstimulated endometrium. 1522 Apr 66

There is an urgent need to identify and develop a new generation of therapeutic agents and systemic therapies targeting the estradiol (E2)/estrogen receptor (ER) signaling in breast cancer. In this regard, new information on the mechanisms of E2/ER function and/or cross talk with other prosurvival cascades should provide the basis for the development of other ideal anti-E2 therapies with the intent to enhance clinical efficacy, reduce side effects or both. Our very recent assessment of the mechanisms by which cancer-associated increased lipogenesis and its inhibition alters the E2/ER signaling discovered that fatty acid synthase (FASN), the enzyme catalyzing the terminal steps in the de novo biosynthesis of long-chain fatty acids, differentially modulates the state of sensitivity of breast and endometrial cancer cells to E2-stimulated ER transcriptional activation and E2-dependent cell growth and survival: 1) pharmacological inhibition of FASN activity induced a dramatic augmentation of E2-stimulated ER-driven gene transcription, whereas interference (RNAi)-mediated silencing of FAS gene expression drastically lowered E2 requirements for optimal activation of ER transcriptional activation in breast cancer cells; conversely, pharmacological and RNAi-induced inhibition of FASN worked as an antagonist of E2- and tamoxifen-dependent ER transcriptional activity in endometrial adenocarcinoma cells; 2) pharmacological and RNAi-induced inhibition of FASN synergistically enhanced E2-mediated down-regulation of ER protein and mRNA expression in breast cancer cells, whereas specific FASN blockade resulted in a marked down-regulation of E2-stimulated ER expression in endometrial cancer cells; and 3) FASN inhibition decreased cell proliferation and cell viability by promoting apoptosis in hormone-dependent breast and endometrial cancer cells. In this review we propose that, through a complex mechanism involving the regulation of MAPK/ER cross talk as well as critical E2-related proteins including the Her-2/neu (erbB-2) oncogene and the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors p21(WAF1/CIP1) and p27(Kip1), a previously unrevealed connection exists between FASN and the genomic and nongenomic ER activities in breast and endometrial cancer cells. From a clinical perspective, we suggest that if chemically stable FASN inhibitors or cell-selective systems able to deliver RNAi targeting FASN gene demonstrate systemic anticancer effects of FASN inhibition in vivo, additional preclinical studies to characterize their anti-breast cancer actions should be of great interest as the specific blockade of FASN activity may also provide a protective means against endometrial carcinoma associated with tamoxifen-based breast cancer therapy.
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PMID:Targeting fatty acid synthase in breast and endometrial cancer: An alternative to selective estrogen receptor modulators? 1680 39

Prolonged exposure to unopposed estrogen in the absence of progesterone gives rise to endometrial hyperplasia and carcinoma. Post-ovulatory progesterone is necessary for the proper growth and differentiation of endometrial epithelial cells (EECs). Progesterone exposure induces the endometrial production of numerous bioactive substances, one of which is the glycoprotein, glycodelin (Gd). We investigated the role of Gd in cell cycle progression and cell growth to better understand how Gd affects EEC behavior and endometrial cancer pathogenesis. Ishikawa cells, a well-differentiated human endometrial epithelial cancer cell line, were transfected with expression plasmids encoding enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) or EGFP-fused Gd (EGFP-Gd). They were then subjected to a cell proliferation assay, flow cytometry cell cycle analysis and RT-PCR analysis of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors (CDKIs) including p21, p27 and p16. Overexpression of EGFP-Gd resulted in a reduction of cell proliferation activity, an accumulation of G1-phase cells and up-regulation of p21, p27 and p16 mRNAs. Furthermore, progesterone-induced inhibition of Ishikawa cell growth was partially attenuated by Gd knockdown using siRNA. These results indicate that Gd causes inhibition of G1/S progression together with up-regulation of CDKIs thereby reducing cell growth. Thus, progesterone-induced expression of Gd may, at least in part, contribute to the suppression of endometrial epithelial growth observed during the secretory phase.
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PMID:Glycodelin blocks progression to S phase and inhibits cell growth: a possible progesterone-induced regulator for endometrial epithelial cell growth. 1817 6


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